1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a curtain wall used as to be an outer wall defining an architectural structure such as building.
2. Description of the Related Art
The curtain wall is generally provided to secure mullions (vertical members) to building frames supporting upper and lower floors in an architectural structure, to cross traverse members such as transoms between these mullions, and to arrange surface members selected from glass plate, aluminum plate, concrete plate, stone plates and so on at respective openings divided by these mullions and traverse members
By the way, for modem buildings and so on, it has been required to have fertile de sign, so that the surface of the outer wall or curtain wall is deliberately improved to show fertile appearance.
There have been known in the art several types of curtain walls, for example, the first one being structured to conspicuously project mullion outside over a surface member such as glass board, the second one being provided to generally align respective surface levels both of the mullions and the traverse members with that of the surface member, the third one having a feature to sectionally show uneven surface arrangement with plural surface members which are alternatively rise and fall inside or outside, the fourth one being characterized to arrange one of mullions and traverse members inside of surface members not to expose it outside in order to emphasize an adjusted alignment thereof in a traverse or vertical direction, the fifth one being provided not to expose outside both of mullions and traverse members but to arrange them inside of the surface members, and the sixth one having two or more surface members laminated on one on the other to achieve effective heat and sound insulating properties.
However, the mullions and traverse members are generally made into different shapes respectively in conformity with types of curtain walls and each curtain wall further requires exclusive mullions and traverse members having different shape and structure, so that it has been inevitable to prepare several kinds of mullions and traverse members upon each conventional curtain wall.
Accordingly, the user might suffer from administration (production, stock, shipment, and so on) of producing molds and produced mullions and traverse members.
In order to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages, the Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 55-1423 and the Japanese Utility-model Publication No. Sho 55-571 taught to use only one kind of mullion to install various kinds of curtain walls.
In particular, the mullion suggested in the Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 55-1423 is provided to support vertically aligned walls (vertical walls) from both sides of its base portion having square section and to keep corresponding horizontal walls extending perpendicularly from forward ends of the vertical walls to form coupling grooves into which window glasses will be attached, hence various curtain walls called flat-type, convexoconcave-type or double-glass type can be obtained.
The mullion taught in the Japanese Utility-model Publication No. Sho 55-571 consists of two mullion half-members vertically separated each of which is provided with grooves at its eccentric portions to carry window glasses therein to thereby obtain various curtain walls called flat-type or convexoconcave-type in a state that the mullions are projected outwardly.
However, it has been pointed out that the former type can not be applied to shade mullions inside of the room and the latter type can not use the double window glasses and put mullions inside of the room. As a result, the conventionally proposed mullions were limitedly utilized in about three types of the curtain walls but it could not be applied into all seven types of curtain walls, so that it was still required to prepare various kinds of mullions and horizontal members to assemble any kind of curtain walls.
Accordingly, the present invention is conceived to provide a curtain wall of which concept can be applied into various kinds of curtain walls each showing a different external surface by using mullions and horizontal members having a single standardized structure to minimize kinds of necessary mullions and horizontal members and to make administration easy in terms of production, stock and shipment and in terms of molds for producing them.